This project involves the study of the anatomical properties and organization of cells in the visual system of primates, with emphasis on the retina and the visual cortex. Studies were carried out to characterize (1) the eye-dominance column pattern of human visual striate cortex. (2) the correlation between the staining of blue-sensitive cones by anti-blue cones antibodies and by tissue-reactive dyes, and (3) the reported variability of cone density in the foveal region. (1) Despite the fact that the striate cortex of humans and macaques differ not only in terms of surface area, but also sulcal and gyral topography, cytochrome oxidase staining shows that the layout of the eye-dominance columns of striate cortex in patients who suffered monocular eye loss before death is very similar to that of macaques. These results indicate that the above anatomical factors do not determine the general pattern of eye-dominance columns. (2) Preliminary results of the comparison of the staining of a cone population by tissue-reactive dyes, and the labeling of blue- sensitive cones by anti-blue cone antibodies suggest that the putative identification of this population as blue-sensitive cones is indeed correct. (3) Results from cone density measurements in the fovea and area centralis of the retina of macaque and donor human eyes fail to substantiate, so far, major individual differences in cone density that have been claimed in some studies.
